Illuminated direction indicator



Jan. 15, 1935. RA E, Tlsci-l l 1,988,403

ILLUMINATED DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Jan. 20, 1933 is a Il L INVENTOR Raymondl? Tisch MV@ l Y ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 15, 1935 y t 1,988,403

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED DIRECTION INDICATOR Raymond E. Tisch, Hillside, Elizabeth, N. J. Application January 20, 1933, Serial No. 652,707

1 Claim. (Cl. 177-329) This invention relates to illuminated direction nected up to function simultaneously. When the indicators and has for an object to provide an bracket 10 is used it acts as a Support for the improved construction wherein the indicator cable 11 which maybe an ordinary electric cord may be readily seen at an appreciable distance or may be a Ba: cable. This cable extends by day and night. through a fiber bushing 12 snugly fitted into an 5 Another object of the invention is to provid aperture in the bracket 10. It will be seen from an illuminated direction indicator designed to Figure 3 that the cable 11 has an end 13 thereof be controlled from the steering wheel or instruheld in place by a suitable clamping screw 14 l ment board of a truckv or other automotive veso as to provide the proper contact. It will also l hcle, and to indicate by means of an arrow, hand be-noted that the socket 15 is any of the .usual 10 or other directing member at either the front types of single contact sockets, and the lamps or rear, or both at the front and rear, of the veare also the single contact type, namely, the hicle in such a manner as to be readily visible at center of the lamp is connected electricallyI with an appreciable distance both in theday time and the end 13 and the outer rim of the lamp is l5 also at night. grounded on the housing 1", which ground is con- 15 A further object of the invention is to provide nected to one side of the source of supply while an illuminated direction indicator for vehicles the cable 11 is connected to the other side of the wherein an illuminated arrow or other indicatsource of supply through asuitable switch on the ing means is provided and illuminated in such instrument board of the vehicle or on the wheel a manner as to give the desired signal withoutl of the car carrying the device. A fiber cap 16 20 glare. is fitted over the outer end of the socket 15 and A further object of the invention is to provide is held in place by the headless screw 1'7 whereby in an illuminateddirection indicator a constructhe parts are maintained water and dust proof.` tionv which is water and dust proof, and wherein From Figure 3 it will be noted that the housing the lamp and other fragile parts are protected by 1 is provided with an upwardly extending portion 25 a casing of metal. 18 wherebyl a recess or pocket 19 is formed. In f In` the accompanying drawingcase water should enter by some means the'same Figure 1 is a front view of an illuminated direcwill run by gravity to the recess 19 and therefore tion indicator disclosing an embodiment of the preventashort circuit of the lamp.

invention; While the lamp may be of any preferred type of 30 Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on single contact, it is preferably one of the bayonet the line 2 2; f lock style now in common'use.

Figure 3 is a sectional View through'Figure 1 -In casting or otherwise forming the housing on the line 3 3; 1, the same is provided with a shoulder or oifset Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspec- 20 and a number of linwardly extending projec- 35 tive view of the various diffusion members shown tions 21 whereby an ample seat is provided for the in Figures 2 and 3. respective light diffusing plates 22. As the cham- Referring to the accompanying drawing by bers 2 and 3 arey identical, and all parts associnumerals, 1 indicates a housing having two chamated therewith are identical', only onewill be debers or compartments 2 and 3 to accommodate scribed, the same being shown in Figures 1, 2 and 40 the respective lamps or bulbs 4 and 5. The hous-y 3'.. 'I'he glass panel 22 is a commercial style of ing 1 is preferably cast from aluminum, though v glass now on the market and consists of a fiat it could be made from other metal. During the panel having small projections or a pebbled surcasting enlargements or lugs 6 and 7 are proface 23 on one face. However, to adapt the same vided, said lugs having threadedapertures for to the present use the opposite face, as shown in 45 receiving thev cap screws `8 and 9, which cap Figure 4, is frosted as at 24. A second di'using screws may be used to'clamp an angle bracket 10 plate 25 coacts with plate'22, said second plate in place, which bracket is clamped to some part having frosted surfaces 26 and 27.1 These two of the vehicle when the device is in use. plates are in contact, as shown in Figure 3, and

If the angle bracket 10 is notv necessary, the act to diffuse the light in such a manner that 50 cap screws 8 and 9 are used to clamp the device there will be-no glare but amplelight will be perdirectly to some part of the vehicle. It will be mitted to pas's throughl these plates, whereby the understood that the device as shown in .the drawsignal may be seen by day. or night for a coming is applied to the front and also to the rear paratively long distance, and the signal will Vbe of the vehicle and that the two devices are consharp and clear. 55

'As shown in Figure 1, the signal consists of an arrowhead 28 having an elongated member 29 acting as a tail to the head 28. The diffusing plate 22 is preferably amber colored, while the diffusing plate 25 is preferably white. These colors with the frosted parts and the pebbled surface on plate 22 cause the projected light to' be of a color readily seen by day or night.

Against the upper face of plate 25 and also the front face of the housing 1 is arranged a gasket 30 which is preferably of cork. This gasket is .held in place by a cast metal protecting plate 31 which plate is preferably of aluminum, though it can be made of other material and can be stamped out instead of cast. In the forming of plate 31 openings are made therein in the form' of the head 28 and tail 29, as shown in Figure 1. In forming these openings great care must be taken that the opening 29 must have rounded ends 33 in front and a rounded rear end 34.v A tongue or projection 35 is also necessary to produce a sharp arrowhead. 'It will be noted that this tongue projects into the space4 36 with the result that the zones 37 and 38 are much narrower thanthe other parts of the opening, but the. opening or space 36 is only slightly longer than the width of the other parts of the opening form` ing the arrowhead. The metal protecting plate 31 is held in place'by suitable flathead screws 39. From Figures 1 and 2v it will be noted that the glass panels cover the respective compartments 2 and 3, but the gasket 30 and plate 3l extend entirely ,across the 'front face of the housing so as to completely cover the same and present anv ornamental appearance, .as shown in Figure 1.

It will be understood that the openings in the .gasket are identical with those in the front plate 31 so that when either of the lamps are lit the desired shape of signal device may be seen, namely, an. arrowhead with a short tail.

When the device is in use and mounted on a truck, automobile or other vehicle, and is connected up to a storage battery or other source of current, the circuit of the lamps 4 and `5 are provided With 'switches which may be any desired type, but forl convenience a double throw switch has been found desirable, so that when the double y throw switch is in neutral position, both lamps are deprived of current. When the switch is thrown to the right, the circuit of the' right hand Y 'make a turn.

Preferably one indicator is mounted on the, A

front and another on the rear of a truck or other vehicle, and these are connected in multiple so that when a switch is thrown to indicate a right turn, an arrow both at u1the front and rear, point= ing to the right will be illuminated. As soon as the turn has been madeor shortly thereafter;

the operator merely throws the switch back to a neutral position, whereupon the device is inopera.-v

tive and remains inoperative.

It will be understood that by reason of the shape ofthe parts, the arrangement of the lamps and the use of the diffusing plates, the arrow as i1- lustrated in Figure 1 may be readily seen during the day or night, thus permitting the device to be operated at any time to indicate to a following 'vehicle the intentions of the driver with regard to turning. The plate 31 is preferably painted some dark color, for instance, black or dark blue,

so that in the day `time the arrows will show upclearly at a comparatively great distance.

I claim:-

An .illuminated direction indicator including 'a l housing 'provided with afcompartment,v a lamp socket in said compartment, a light diffusing structure arranged in the face of said compartment, and a retaining plate for said compartment having an opening indicating an arrowhead, said opening having a pair of converging outer Walls formed with a rounded portion at their point of meeting, an inner wall for each of the rst 'men- -tioned walls, said last mentioned walls being parallel to the first mentioned walls and merging into a second set of parallel walls whereby a projecting tonguel is provided which extends toward the forward end of the arrowhead sufficiently to 4narrow the opening forming the arrowhead whereby glaring will be eliminated.

RAYMOND E. TISCH'.l 

